Christine Gauthier leads off with World Championship silver

August 6, 2014

Broadcast note:The 2014 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships finals will be broadcast on Sportsnet One on Saturday at noon EST and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. See broadcast schedule for details.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Christine Gauthier got the Canadian CanoeKayak Team off to a solid start today by winning a silver medal in Paracanoe at the 2014 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Gauthier won silver in the Women’s K1 200 TA. She was second to Emma Wiggs of Great Britain by about a third of a second.

Paracanoe athletes are classified based on the ability an athlete has in his or her legs, trunk and arms (LTA, TA and A). A double-bladed paddle and kayak is used for K1while a single bladed paddle an outrigger canoe is used for the V1. Paracanoe will make its debut at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Gauthier is a five-time World Champion in the Women’s K1 200 LTA which she raced the heat of today and finished third to advance directly to tomorrow’s final. In total Gauthier is racing four events including two finals tomorrow and one on Friday. She won her heat in the V1 TA today to advance directly to tomorrow’s final. She will race the V1 LTA final on Friday.

Dave Waters of Fox Point, NS finished sixth in the final of V1 200 TA. Waters finishes his international season with this result along with a World Cup silver and bronze medal from May.

Christian Maranda of Québec, QC placed fifth in his semi-final of the K1 200 LTA and advanced to the B-final tomorrow.

The second day of competition in Moscow continues tomorrow with Paracanoe finals as well as heats and semi-finals for 1000 and 500 metre distances.

CanoeKayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. The organization’s vision is to be a Canadian sport for families, communities and champions. From supporting clubs to developing a competitive National Team, CanoeKayak Canada works to grow a sport which is a rich part of Canada’s heritage.